French judoka Teddy Riner and sprinter Marie-José Pérec, a three-time Olympic gold medallist, light Olympic flame
Celine Dion then performs partway up the Eiffel Tower
Lady Gaga, Zinedine Zidane and the Minions among those involved in breathtaking performance
Diver Tom Daley and rower Helen Glover Great Britain's flagbearers
Watch: Rapper Snoop Dogg carries Olympic torch through Paris
An epic fireworks display and Usain Bolt's electrifying performances on the track.
Here's the best of Beijing 2008.
Olympic Games: Watch the top moments from the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
BBC Sport looks back at some of the best moments from the 2004 Olympics in Athens, including Kelly Holmes' sensational double gold and Usain Bolt's Games debut.
athens top 10 moments
If you're not already in the Olympics mood, let's get you there by looking back at some of the best moments from the last 20 years - starting with Athens 2004.
2004 is 20 years ago, urgh...
The BBC will bring you extensive coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympics across TV, iPlayer, Radio 5 Live, BBC Sounds, the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport app.
BBC One and BBC Two will bring you all the best moments as more than 10,000 athletes compete in 329 gold medal events.
The opening ceremony takes place tonight, and will be shown live on BBC One from 17:45 BST.
The BBC will broadcast a maximum of two live streams of Olympics action at any one time from Saturday, 27 July to the final day of the Games on Sunday, 11 August.
In addition to the main coverage on BBC One or Two, there will be an Olympics Extra channel available on BBC iPlayer, Red Button and online.
To help you catch up, Tonight at the Games on BBC One every evening takes an in-depth look at the day's best action and biggest talking points.
BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra also bring you live commentary every day from 10:00-22:00 BST, plus a daily podcast on BBC Sounds.
There will be live text commentary from 06:30 BST, plus news, features and short-form video highlights of key moments on the BBC Sport website and app.
Matthew Henry
BBC Sport in Paris
I’ve stumbled across some water polo penalty practice at the Aquatics Centre.
Where’s Jordan Pickford when you need him?
Liam Loftus
BBC Sport in Paris
US rapper Snoop Dogg has carried the Olympic torch through the streets of Paris ahead of tonight's opening ceremony.
He walked, rather than jogged, his stint past the Stade de France, occasionally stopping to wave to fans and bop to the music as his song “who am I (what’s my name)?” rang out from the crowd!
As well as being a mega successful rapper, he does have a sporting connection as he is a qualified American football coach and set up the Snoop Youth League in Los Angeles to keep youngsters off the streets.
And Los Angeles will host the 2028 Olympics, of course.
Image source, BBC Sport
Image source, Getty ImagesDouble Olympic swimming champion Rebecca Adlington was on 5 Live Breakfast this morning to talk about her Olympic experiences - and told that she couldn't attend the opening ceremonies at Beijing 2008 and London 2012 because of her competition schedule.
"I never got to go to an opening ceremony because the competition was so close, and it is a very late night, a lot of waiting about and very hot, so not the best preparation for an athlete," she said.
"But in the apartment blocks in the village, you tend to get all your mates to go into one and you just watch it, and sometimes if there are fireworks you can see them from your balcony, so it’s something that we watch with keen interest.
"It’s where that excitement builds. And tonight’s going to be so different, with it being down the river and not contained in one stadium. Those that aren’t there will definitely be watching it."
A lot of thought, preparation and money has gone into tonight's Olympic opening ceremony - but some of the athletes will have to sit it out, as five-time Olympic rowing champion Sir Steve Redgrave explained on 5 Live Breakfast:
"Not everyone can go. Half the rowers tend not to go because they’re competing the next day. Same with the swimmers.
"You’d always like to do it but it’s always very late at night and people are competing the next morning very early."
Image source, Getty ImagesFive-time Olympic rowing champion Sir Steve Redgrave was a Great Britain flagbearer at the opening ceremony in 1992 and 1996. He told 5 Live Breakfast what that was like:
"Pretty special. I know Helen Glover’s been talking about it being a huge honour and the best thing she’s done in her sporting life.
"It is just amazing. It was amazing for me to walk out into that stadium. This time it’s a little bit different, which I’m really excited about. You could have filled a stadium of 300,000 for the ceremony, but you can’t built that because it’s never going to be used again, so by using the Seine, doing it the way they are is absolutely fantastic."
Keeping with tradition, Greece will be the first nation introduced during the ceremony.
NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo (pictured) is one of their flagbearers for the Games.
Greece will then be followed by the Refugee Olympic Team, while hosts France will be the last to be introduced.
Image source, Getty ImagesParis 2024: Helen Glover and Tom Daley will be GB flagbearers at opening ceremony
Great Britain's flagbearers have been chosen for tonight's opening ceremony - with diver Tom Daley and rower Helen Glover doing the honours.
Four-time Olympic medallist Daley, 30, will contest his fifth Olympics after ending his long wait for gold at Tokyo 2020 in the men's 10m synchro.
“I am extremely proud. Being able to be flagbearer at the opening ceremony is a dream come true," Daley told BBC Sport.
Two-time Olympic champion Glover, 38, is competing at her fourth Games and said carrying the British flag would be "the biggest honour of my life".
In a first for the Games, the spectacle will not be in a stadium, instead taking place on Paris' River Seine.
The ceremony will take place across a 6km route. It will begin at Austerlitz bridge (pictured) and end among the gardens, fountains and palaces in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower at Trocadero.
There will be almost 100 boats carrying more than 10,000 athletes, plus a host of dignitaries, which sail past Paris' iconic landmarks, including Notre Dame cathedral and Pont Neuf.
The boats will transport the athletes in the parade but also be used in the artistic part of the ceremony, which will showcase the history and culture of Paris and France.
The identity of the performers and many of the other details from the ceremony have been kept a tight secret - although Celine Dion and Lady Gaga are among those expected to perform.
Thousands of people are still expected to line the river and the streets, despite the likelihood of rain tonight, with millions more watching on television around the world.
Image source, Getty ImagesCould former England footballer Jill Scott make it as an Olympic rower? She spent a day training with the British men's eight crew, before joining them on the water for the ultimate final test.
Paris 2024: Former Lioness Jill Scott tries out with Team GB's Olympic rowing team
BBC Sport challenges regular gym goers to lift as much as Team GB Olympic weightlifter Emily Campbell, with the help of fitness influencer Paul Olima.
Paris 2024: Could you lift like British weightlifter Emily Campbell?
Image source, Getty ImagesThomas Bach says he has "full confidence" in the French authorities despite the sabotaging of the train system hours before the Paris Games opening ceremony.
"I don't have concerns," the International Olympic Committee president told media at the Olympic athletes' village. "We have full confidence in the French authorities."
Bach has reacted after series of fires hit French high-speed rail lines, hours before tonight's opening ceremony, which starts at 18:30 BST.
Rail company SNCF has described the incidents as a "massive attack aimed at paralysing the network", while France's transport minister has condemned them as "co-ordinated malicious acts".
Our colleagues at BBC News are covering this story live - follow the latest updates here.
Harry Poole
BBC Sport in Paris
The race is on! Well, it’s more a game of patience in the battle to secure one of the Phryges - the Paris 2024 official mascot.
Despite the morning rain, queues have been building outside official merchandise stores around Paris.
It’s been great to see the steady increase in anticipation and excitement around the French capital over the past few days.
Evidently, the world cannot wait to see what Paris 2024 has in store…
The organising committee of Paris 2024 has vowed to make it the greenest Games in Olympic history, with half the carbon footprint of London 2012 and Rio 2016.
London 2012 had an estimated carbon footprint of 3.3m tonnes, while Rio 2016 had a total estimated footprint of 3.6m tonnes of carbon.
The 2024 Games will be held in the same city where world leaders met in 2015 to sign a number of commitments to prevent global temperatures rising by more than 1.5C and there will be lots of attention on sustainability efforts.
From tables made out of shuttlecocks to plant-based menus, Paris 2024 have announced a number of initiatives that they claim will help them reach their targets.
In an exclusive interview, Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), told BBC Sport that sustainability is an issue "very close" to his heart.
Bach said that climate change represents an "extremely serious threat, not only for sport, but for all our lives," adding, "this is why, with our Olympic agenda reforms, we undertook to tackle these issues by focusing on reducing our footprint."
Image source, Getty ImagesMatthew Henry
BBC Sport in Paris
A big part of today is the Olympic torch relay which is making its way to tonight’s ceremony.
The torch is being carried by a mix of people, sportspeople, celebrities and the general public. In the picture below is Laure Meriaud the architect of the Games’ Aquatic Centre.
The flame has just left the Stade de France and nearby Aquatics Centre, cheered on by a decent crowd. Snoop Dogg, yes you’ve read that right, will be carrying the torch shortly.
Image source, Metropole du Grand ParisKelvin Kimathi
BBC Nairobi
Having fought through one of the longest civil wars on record, South Sudan's early history was defined by conflict. But now the youngest nation in the world is forging a new identity through basketball.
Their success has seen the men's national side, the Bright Stars, book a spot at the Paris 2024 Olympics and also come within seconds of a historic win over the United States last weekend.
Former National Basketball Association (NBA) star Luol Deng has been a major inspiration behind their rise.
"Since I was born, I have known nothing but conversations about war," Deng, who spent 15 years in the NBA, told BBC Sport Africa.
"Whenever I was in school, even when I was in the NBA, it was always 'refugees left because of war' and 'war-torn country'.
"Now we are finding a new story."
You can read the full, remarkable story of South Sudan's basketball team here.
Image source, Getty Images
Anna Thompson
BBC Sport in Paris
There was supposed to have been a media conference in Paris this morning with Paris 2024 chief Tony Estanguet, ceremonies director Thierry Reboul and artistic director Thomas Jolly.
But it was cancelled at late notice without any official explanation. It could be they are looking at some aspects of the ceremony with the unfavourable weather that is forecast in Paris this evening.
With the opening ceremony taking place along the River Seine, there isn't a plan B as such but they may be able to tweak certain parts if they need to.
